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Celebrating Halloween on a Yacht

Looking to attend a Halloween party in style? Hop aboard a super yacht and enjoy the costume party themes, decorations, and the atmosphere.

Let’s set the scene: calm seas, the full moon reflecting off the surface of the water, and a cold chill running down the spine of your back as the clock strikes midnight on Halloween night. Forget haunted hayrides and horror movies, this Halloween it’s time to try something new. Thrill-seekers and seafarers from all over the country are signing up and setting sail on mega yachts for one of the spookiest nights of the year. Yacht owners, those chartering a boat, and individuals climbing aboard for a large sponsored event should prepare for a night of fright and fun—costumes mandatory. When it comes to celebrating Halloween on a yacht, or a boat of any size, a good costume party theme is essential for a successful party. Combine that with the eerie atmosphere of a moon lit ocean and stunning decorations, and party-goers are in for an unforgettable Halloween night on the high seas.

The Seafair, sailing out of Miami, is one of many super yachts that opens its doors every Halloween for a spooktacular evening of fright and fun. Photo credit: Seafair.

Spooky Setting

There’s something to be said about the mysterious quality of the sea with its vast reach and endless accounts of myths and traditions. Since we were little, we’ve heard the tales of Black Beard, pirates, mermaids, sea monsters, sailors lost at sea and other legends of the deep. Not to mention the sad history behind the Titanic tragedy. Those adventurous enough to climb aboard a boat this Halloween will be in for an experience like no other. Many of the sponsored super yacht parties take place in major cities such as New York City, Boston, San Francisco, and Miami—all of which have their own unique ghost stories to explore.

From masquerades to pirates and ghostly haunts, guests will get lost in the magic of Halloween as they dress for the theme of the night.

Costume Party Themes

If the supernatural environment of a ship at sea isn’t enough to spark your Halloween spirit, then a ghostly costume theme will definitely do the trick. Some of the most popular yacht party themes for Halloween include Ship Wrecked Pirates, a Titanic Masquerade Ball, Speakeasy Prohibition, a Haunted Ghost Ship, and Hollywood Horror Nights. The best of these themes look to combine the nautical experience with a Halloween twist. Regardless of individual costume decisions, guests find enjoyment immersing themselves in the theme of the night. For many passengers, it’s not uncommon to see ladies in ball gowns and men in tuxedos—as long as it fits within the theme, of course. The concept of luxury and extravagance for these yacht parties remains a core value to keep in mind for anyone remotely interested in competing in a vessel’s onboard costume contest.

Neon lights are just one of many aspects of decor incorporated into these mega yachts in order to bring the party to life on Halloween night.

With fabulous costumes and lavish yachts comes unbelievable décor and interior. Halloween decorations must go above and beyond what’s expected of typical standards to fit in with the themes of these super yacht celebrations. Neon lights, black lights, and strobe lights are only the beginning. All onboard décor is expected to properly coordinate with the party’s costume theme. While its hard to measure up to the time, energy and cost of these super yacht festivities, decorating smaller yachts can be made easy by taking a look at boats.com’s Halloween Decorations for Your Boat.

For those of you daring enough to sail off into the moonlight this Halloween, be sure to share all your Halloween yacht party photos and videos with us on the YachtWorld Facebook page.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in October 2016 and updated in October 2018.

Kim Koditek is the Digital Editor for Boats Group, where she manages publishing and editing for three marine-industry portals including Boat Trader, YachtWorld and boats.com. A life-long boater, Kim graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Communications and a minor in Professional Writing. Her writing is focused on lifestyle, entertainment and business-related features.